In the early morning, sunlight after the rain streamed through the watchtower's windows, scattering like shards of gold on the ancient stone steps.

Right now, the other three were still holed up in their rooms, so the entire watchtower belonged to me.

Humming a tuneless melody, I walked with light steps, wandering through the corridors, stairways, and rooms.

Ah, this stone. Ah, this moss. Ah, these flying sheets of manuscript.
A pair of turtledoves landed on the windowsill, nuzzling each other, utterly carefree.

How dare you pull this off in front of me, you reckless creatures. But I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off for now!

Just as I was mentally judging the little birds, Sylvia's voice drifted to my ears.
"That's 'Wind Beneath the Dragon's Bones,' isn't it... You're completely off-key."

She had approached without a sound, her bright face somehow already beside me.

Tomorrow, I would be able to walk through the market with someone like her, sharing the festive atmosphere.

"There are different versions from different places. That's called local flavor. Did you sleep well last night? Most of the beds in this watchtower are too soft."
She answered easily,
"That's no problem at all. I can fall asleep on any terrain within three minutes."
"But you seem to have a bit of dark circles now."
"That has nothing to do with the bed. It's all because you... never mind. What are your plans for today?"
"Once Mr. Wilson is awake, I'll ask him if there's anything he needs me to do. If not, I'll practice magic for a bit, then go home to make some potions."
"Oh? Planning to sell them at the festival?"
"Right. Emily asks me to make some entertainment potions every year. They're called potions, but they're more like drinks. Things like Dew of Laughter, Heartwarming Flow, and Tireless Dance Steps."
"Ohh, I've tried Heartwarming Flow. It's that rose-colored, thick drink, right? I quite like it. Does it have roasted apple in it?"
"And cinnamon, cloves, and several kinds of berries. Would you like to taste it once it's done?"
"Absolutely."

Talking about inconsequential topics with Sylvia like this warmed my heart all on its own.

I was such a fool in the past. There was no need to hide my true thoughts in front of her. As long as I spoke them, she would listen seriously, without a trace of impatience or disgust.

Ah... right. Although I'm comfortable with potion topics, I should also consult her about serious matters.
"Sylvia, could I trouble you to... explain your fifth rune a little? About its structure and principles."

To understand a rune an elf is born with, asking the person themselves is most suitable.
I just hadn't had the nerve to ask out of embarrassment. Now that everything's out in the open, whatever happens, happens.

Contrary to my expectations, Sylvia's gaze drifted, and she averted her eyes slightly, looking a bit guilty.
"Sorry, Adam. I don't really understand it either."
"It's fine. If you don't want to talk about it, you can just say so."
"No, no! I'm not making excuses."

She waved her hands hurriedly and said,
"I really can't understand how that strange, incredibly complex structure operates... Maybe you should ask Grey?"

It seemed she was telling the truth. A bit hard to believe.
For an elf, using their own runes should be as instinctive as waving a hand or walking.

But since there are humans born with disabilities, maybe it's not that strange for the occasional elf to not know how to use their runes.
"Is it okay? Mr. Wilson is very vain. He might forcibly include your rune in a paper."
"It's fine, it's fine. When the time comes, you just help me beat him up."
My dear Mr. Wilson, both Mary and Sylvia want me to hit you. Actually, I want to hit you too. Do you just naturally emit some kind of punch-me pheromone?

Sylvia looked me up and down and said,
"Speaking of which, have you actually understood the first four already? In such a short time?"
"Mm. I've studied with Mr. Wilson for a year, after all. I can grasp runes with simple structures like these. By the way, the fourth one was a bit challenging. I only figured it out early this morning."

Sylvia opened her beautiful eyes wide.
"Adam, are you actually the reincarnation of some ancient sage or something?"
I laughed out loud.
"That's too much of an exaggeration. At this level, you could easily do it too, couldn't you?"
"...I'm going to go study some magic."

After a few seconds of silence, Sylvia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she swayed unsteadily as she walked towards her room.
Why? I don't think I said anything wrong, did I?

After experimenting with the fourth rune on the first floor for a while, I heard the sound of a door opening above.
I looked up and saw Wilson and Mary walking out of the workshop side by side, smiling and whispering softly to each other.

The fourth rune doesn't have hallucinogenic effects... Really? Right after coming out of the church, I thought Mary might look for a chance to kill Wilson, and I worried about it for a long time.
Did something happen last night?

Noticing my gaze, they immediately put distance between themselves, pretending nothing had happened. Mary even trotted off into another room with quick, small steps.

Wilson said,
"Adam, good morning. Miss Mary and I had quite fruitful discussions last night and were just about to share them with you."
"Good morning. I also had fruitful discussions last night, but I don't plan on sharing them with you."
"You really are as respectful to your teacher as ever. Catch!"

Grey forcefully threw down a small, dark object.
It seems he intended to toss it coolly into my hand, but due to lack of strength, the thing fell straight toward the ground several meters away.

I summoned the fourth rune and caught the small ball before it could meet a pitiful end.
It was a bright yellow eyeball, identical in form to the red ones I'd seen before.

A chill ran through me. I asked,
"An eyeball needed for the ritual? When and where did you find this?"
Wilson was also looking at me, full of astonishment.
"It's just a replica made with construction magic and old books."
"What did you just do? That eyeball was clearly about to hit the ground... Was that Sylvia's rune? I've never seen magic like that... Definitely enough for two or three papers!"
"No magic at all. It probably just couldn't bear to see you embarrass yourself. So, what's this replica for?"
"You stingy little—! Please keep this replica on you from today. Once the real one appears close enough, it will move and try to crawl toward it."
"I see... a tracking function. Thank you."

I carefully placed the eyeball into my money pouch. Wilson walked down the stairs, saying,
"Never mind that. Adam, are you free tomorrow?"
My heart sank.
"Is it something about Necross?"
If that's the case, I'll have to stand Sylvia up.
"No, no. I'm going to the autumn harvest festival with Mary and need someone to keep an eye on the watchtower. You're free anyway, aren't you?"
"Unfortunately, I've already made plans to go with Sylvia."

I delivered the line I'd been wanting to say.
Wilson was silent for a moment, then a teasing smile—like that of a spectator in an arena—spread across his face.
"Then I'll just put in the effort to activate the defense system. Congratulations... Time is limited, so make the most of your chance, okay?"
"Time is limited...?"
"The festival is only one day, after all. I sincerely pray you get what you wish for. Here, I'll give you something good."

I felt he meant something else by that.

Wilson sliced through the air and pulled out a string with a bronze pendant.
The pendant wasn't finely polished, giving off a cheap feel. Two small, cloudy quartz grains were embedded in the center of its surface.

I took the pendant and asked,
"This is...?"
"It's the 'Blessing of the Twin Stars.' It has a protection spell attached, which slightly increases the wearer's resistance to all types of attacks."
"Such a valuable item..."
"It's just a slight increase. If I had to put a number, it's around 0.4~0.5%, so it's just a cheap trinket."
"Please don't deplete what little respect I have left for you."
"I haven't finished. I once saved my life because of that tiny increase. For me, it brings more luck than any god's blessing. May you... find success!"
"...Thank you! I'll treasure it."

Though doubts remained in my heart, I thanked him sincerely and placed the seemingly cheap pendant into my pouch.

He had put extra emphasis on his last words, stirring a sudden, inexplicable unease within me.

Outside the window, the sunlight remained bright and clear.